Nelson Mandela

By Haily Francis and Julia Curtiss

 Hook

“Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve

success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what
they do.” A quote from Nelson Mandela.
 Thesis

Based off of our research, Nelson Mandela fits Gladwell’s

theory of being an outlier because of demographic luck and
being born at the right time.
Early Life
 Family

Nelson Mandela was born into a into a royal family of the Xhosa-
speaking Thembu tribe on July 18th, 1918 in the small South African
village of Mvezo in the Transkei, a former British protectorate. According
to the New York Times, he was originally born as Rolihlahla Mandela
which translates as “troublemaker” and was given his more familiar
name, Nelson, by a teacher at age 7. Nelson Mandela’s mother, Nosekeni
Fanny, was his father’s third out of four wives and he had nine sisters and
three brothers (Delviscio, Fisher, Allert, Sinha).
 Thembu Tribe

Bantu-speaking people who inhabit the upper reaches of the Mzimvubu

River in Eastern province, South Africa. The Tembu speak a dialect of
Xhosa, a Bantu language of the Nguni group that is closely related
to Zulu (Brittanica).
 Gadla Henry Mhakanyiswa

Nelson Mandela’s father. He was the tribal chief of Mvezo but died in
1928 at the age of 48 because of tuberculosis (Gadla Henry
Mphakanyiswa).
Middle life
 African National Congress

• Nelson Mandela’s commitment to politics and the ANC grew stronger after the 1948 election
victory of the Afrikaner-dominated National Party, which introduced a formal system of racial
classification and segregation-apartheid, that restricted nonwhites’ basic rights and barred them
from government while maintaining white minority rule. (Britannica)
 The Armed Resistance Movement

• In 1961, Nelson Mandela co-founded and became the first leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe (“Spear
of the Nation”), also known as MK, a new armed wing of the ANC. MK launched a sabotage
campaign against the government, which had recently declared South Africa a republic and
withdrawn from the British .
• F.W.De Klerk and Nelson Mandela at World Economic Forum 1992.
 Time in Prison

• Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison, from November 1962 until February 1990. Formerly
committed to nonviolent protest, he began to believe that armed struggle was the only way to
achieve change
 Time in Prison

• Nelson Mandela was incarcerated on Robben Island for 18 of his 27 years in prison. During this
time, he contracted tuberculosis and, as a black political prisoner, received the lowest level of
treatment from prison workers. (Britannica)
 Time in Prison

• While incarcerated, Mandela was able to earn a Bachelor of Law degree through a University of
London correspondence program.
 Marriage

• Nelson Mandela was married three times, first marriage to Evelyn Mase where they had 4 children
and 2 children with his second wife Winnie Madikizel and his third wife, Graca Machel. Nelson
Mandela married three times and fathered six children. He also had 17 grandchildren and many
great-grandchildren. (Nytimes)
Later life
 Released from Prison

• He established a number of organizations, including the influential Nelson Mandela Foundation

and The Elders, an independent group of public figures committed to addressing global problems
and easing human suffering.
 Released from Prison

• In 2002, Mandela became a vocal advocate of AIDS awareness and treatment programs in a culture
where the epidemic had been cloaked in stigma and ignorance
 Released from Prison

• Mandela published an autobiography titled “Long Walk to Freedom” which he secretly wrote while
in prison. He also published a number of books on his life and struggles, among them “No Easy
Walk to Freedom;Nelson Mandela: the Struggle is my Life” and “Nelson Mandela's Favourite
African Folktales”.
 Nobel Peace Prize

• In 1993, Nelson Mandela and President de Klerk were both rewarded the Nobel Peace Prize for
their work towards dismantling apartheid in South Africa. After Mandela’s release from prison, he
negotiated with President F.W. de Klerk toward the country's first multiracial elections. White South
Africans were willing to share power, but many black South Africans wanted a complete transfer of
power. The negotiations were often strained, and news of violent eruptions. (Britannica)
 Presidency

• On April 27, 1994, South Africa held its first democratic elections.
Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the country's first black president
on May 10, 1994, at the age of 77.
 Presidency

• He also introduced numerous social and economic programs designed

to improve the living standards of South Africa’s black population.
 Presidency

• As president, Mandela established the Truth and Reconciliation

Commission to investigate human rights and political violations
committed by both supporters and opponents of apartheid between
1960 and 1994. (History channel)
 Battle with Cancer

In 2001, Nelson Mandela was diagnosed with prostate cancer. and

weakened by other health issues, Mandela grew increasingly frail in his
later years and scaled back his schedule of public appearances.
 Conclusion

Why is this information important and why does it matter? This information
is important to know because it gives information on the various
opportunities that were present in Mandela’s life and allowed him to be
successful. It matters because Nelson Mandela made a huge impact on the
political and social life in South Africa and had changed it for the better.
Conclusion

How does it connect to Gladwell’s theory? It connects to Gladwells theory because since Mandela was
born into a royal family as the son of a chief, he learned leadership qualities and had the opportunity to
receive a higher quality of education. He was born at the right time when apartheid was common in
South Africa but there wasn’t much being done and it was also demographic luck because if he had
lived anywhere but in South Africa or been born to a different tribe in Africa, then he would not have
had the same opportunity or access to fight the issue.
Picture URL

• https://www.google.com/search?q=african+national+congress+nelson+mandela&safe=active&client=safari&hl=en-
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• https://www.google.com/search?q=mandela+in+prison&safe=active&client=safari&hl=en-
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• https://www.google.com/search?q=mandela+in+prison&safe=active&client=safari&hl=en-
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• https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&client=safari&hl=en-
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• https://www.google.com/search?q=mandela+released+from+prison&safe=active&client=safari&hl=en-
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• https://www.google.com/search?q=mandela+released+from+prison&safe=active&client=safari&hl=en-
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Picture URL

• https://www.google.com/search?q=mandela%27s+book&safe=active&client=safari&hl=en-
us&prmd=insv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjE8Oj9557aAhWKwVQKHSHXBo0Q_AUIESgB&biw=1024&
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• https://www.google.com/search?q=mandela%27s+nobel+peace+prize&safe=active&client=safari&hl=en-
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• https://www.google.com/search?q=mandela%27s+presidency&safe=active&client=safari&hl=en-
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• https://www.google.com/search?q=outliers&safe=active&client=safari&hl=en-
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• https://goo.gl/images/4GSr7m
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• https://goo.gl/images/KRnrrH
Works cited

• Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Nelson Mandela.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 27 Dec.
2017, www.britannica.com/biography/Nelson-Mandela.
• Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Tembu.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 27 Nov. 2014,
www.britannica.com/topic/Tembu.
• Delviscio, Jeffery, et al. “The Life and Legacy of Nelson Mandela: 1918-2013.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Dec.
2013, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/12/05/world/africa/Mandela-Timeline.html#/#time216_6691.
• Durando, Jessica. “15 Of Nelson Mandela's Best Quotes.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 6 Dec. 2013, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-
now/2013/12/05/nelson-mandela-quotes/3775255/.
• Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story Of Success. New York : Back Bay Books, 2011. Print.
• History.com Staff. “Nelson Mandela.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2009, www.history.com/topics/nelson-mandela.
• “Spokeo People Search | White Pages | Find People.” Spokeo, www.spokeo.com/Gadla-Mphakanyiswa/Famous-Militant.
• “Timeline – Nelson Mandela Foundation.” Nelson Mandela Foundation, www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/timeline.